But Carl wasn’t finished. He never missed a chance to humiliate me. With a smug grin, he pointed at my shoes and said to Remi, “Even though she’s wearing the same style, you make them look so much more beautiful.”
I felt a sharp sting in my chest, but I forced myself to hold his gaze, offering him a half-smile. "Carl, when you bought these for me, didn’t you say there were only two pairs in the entire country?"
I let my words hang in the air for a moment before adding, “It seems your love for Miss Miller is less than mine.”
Carl’s face twisted with fury, his calm facade shattering as he stormed toward me. "Damn woman, what nonsense are you talking about?"
I sidestepped him, moving quickly to avoid his outstretched hand. In one swift motion, I kicked off my high heels from a nearby stool and flung them at him. The sharp heel struck his cheek, grazing it just enough to leave a thin trail of blood.
"You love these shoes so much?" I spat, my voice cold. "Why not give them to every woman? Go ahead—marry them all!"
Carl cursed loudly, clutching his cheek as rage boiled over. But before he could retaliate, I bolted, barefoot, out the door, leaving him to nurse his wounded pride.
The hotel was in a remote location, far from the nearest road, which was a ten-minute drive from the entrance. I ignored the pain in my feet as I stumbled over the uneven gravel, shivering uncontrollably. Tears blurred my vision, spilling down my face until everything became a watery haze. My legs gave out beneath me, and I fell hard onto the ground, scraping my knees on the sharp stones. Blood trickled from the cuts, but I barely noticed.
I glanced around and saw nothing—just the vast emptiness of the surroundings. The silence only made me feel smaller. Hugging my legs to my chest, I sat there sobbing, letting the weight of it all crash over me. I could already imagine what people would say—that this was just another story about a gold-digging girl chasing after a wealthy benefactor, desperate to secure a better life.
But they didn’t know the truth. Between Carl and me, he was the one who confessed his love first. I remembered the night he looked into my eyes with such sincerity and said, “Mia, my parents care a lot about status. Let’s keep this private for now. Once I sort everything out, you’ll be a Lewis in all your glory.”